Creatures
by JinxXNeko
Summary: Originally, there were uglies, pretties, then specials, but now a whole new type of human has been discovered and added to the mixture. This is mankind's new operation in it's reach for something more. What starts out as a child's story becomes a reality.
1. Chapter 1 Sneaks and Snitches

**AN: **Hello everyone who happens to run into this story. I haven't posted anything new up for awhile, or really done much writing for that matter. However, I had this thought, and I thought that it would be fun to just do a leisurely fanfic.

It is indeed an _Uglies _fanfic, or at least a spin-off of it. I didn't want to entirely copy the original plot, or the original characters, because I didn't want to plagiarize, or taint either one. I don't own _Uglies_, Scott Westerfield does, and I'll just say that now. However, I do own the characters and the storyline that I've come up with. I also haven't read the entire series, so forgive me if anything seems off; it's going to be different anyways.

Anyhow, that's enough babbling from me for now. Enjoy the first chapter and review if you want. I'll post up another chapter as soon as I can.

**Creatures **

**Chapter 1 – Sneaks and Snitches**

_The world has shifted once again, really shifted. Or at least, that's what I've been told. Apparently, other cities have started to ban the transformations. Honestly, that's hard to believe. Our society hasn't changed for years, except to improve the life-changing operations and make the easy life of a pretty even easier. After all, that's what our lives are, easy and fun. We don't have to worry our pretty heads about a thing, right? _

_Well, that's another thing that I've been told. You see, I'm not a pretty yet, but my time is coming up, and then I'll find that out for myself…_

"Hey, Jazzy", Zac said while reaching over and waving his hand in front of the girl's face. "Are you in there?"

Jazzy broke from her thoughts and looked at him, blinking her large blue eyes. "What were you saying, Zac?"

"I was saying we should go down and join the others at the hide-out after lights out", he repeated while looking at her with steady brown eyes. A grin passed over his face, "What were you daydreaming about?"

She shrugged. "Nothing much, was just thinking about what the teachers told us…do you think it's real?"

Zac took his turn to shrug, "I don't know, Jazz, not that it really matters, either."

"Mm, I guess so." She looked around the small room. This was Zac's dorm; he had his own since he was the son of one of the teachers at the Ugly school. It was their usual meeting place since she had to share her dorm with another ugly girl.

Zac watched her for a moment before glancing around his room. He looked back at her and smiled. "Guess what story I'm going to tell the kiddos tonight." His brown eyes sparked mischievously.

Jazzy looked at him and rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you came up with a sequel to the _Possessed Hovercraft_."

His smile widened into a grin. "Nope, it's something entirely new."

"Good, we almost got into trouble last time because the littlies wouldn't sleep."

Zac laughed before pausing as the room spoke out, announcing the bedtime signal. _All please go to your rooms for the night, lights- out will be in ten minutes. _

Jazzy smiled while looking at him. "I'll see you in fifteen", she said while getting to her feet.

Zac nodded, "Don't get caught."

"When do I ever get caught?" She smirked while turning and walking out of the room.

The hallway was quiet; already the uglies had raced to their bedrooms before the lights were turned out. Jazzy glanced both ways before slipping out into the hallway. She walked with practiced silence towards the girls' dorms. She wasn't scared of getting caught, the officials never really did anything, but it was a habit she perfected just for those special occasions when she and Zac would sneak over to the new-pretty town.

Jazzy finally reached her hallway, and crept to her dorm door. Quietly she turned the doorknob and eased the door open. She took a moment to listen. Silence.

She took a breath and slipped inside, turning to silently shut the door. Jazzy peeked over her shoulder to her roommate and was relieved to see her already sprawled on her stomach on her bed, fast asleep.

"Long day, Shasta?" Jazzy murmured under her breath while walking over to her own bed on her own side, picking her way past piles of clothing thrown from her roommate's closet.

She sighed, there were many things she was going to be happy for once she turned sixteen and was able to switch over. At this point, though, she was looking forward to not having a snoring, snitching roommate who always slobbed all over her side of the room.

The ring on her finger beeped quietly, reminding her that it was bedtime. Jazzy glanced at it and slipped it off, setting it on her nightstand. She then glanced over at the snoring Shasta before pulling off her clothing, replacing them with a black sweatshirt and black cargo pants; her "sneak-wear".

Jazzy froze suddenly when she heard Shasta mumble and roll over. She looked over quickly, and then exhaled with relief. _I'm getting jumpy… _To complete the trick, she fluffed up her pillows and shoved one underneath the blanket, along with some clothes she scooped up from the floor.

She stepped back and surveyed her work, then glanced at her watch. The fifteen minutes were almost up. She turned and headed back towards the door, but froze once again at a sleepy voice.

"…What are you doin', Jazzy?"

Jazzy sighed and looked over at the girl staring at her hazily while half-sitting up. "Um…I'm going to the bathroom."

Shasta narrowed her hazel eyes, "Then why aren't you in your pajamas? Why are you sneaking?" She was awake now, and suspicious.

Jazzy laughed, "Like I want anyone in the hallway to see my pajamas, and I'm not sneaking. I just didn't want to wake you up." She turned to open the door.

"You're going to get into trouble."

"No, I'm not doing anything wrong."

Shasta smirked, "If you're going to the 'hide-out', you'll have to take me along."

Jazzy growled under her breath. "You wouldn't."

Shasta's smirk widened.

Jazzy sighed, "Alright, hurry up."

The hide-out was a small cave hidden in one of the corners of the forest behind UglyVille, which separated the town from the Suburbs. The trees were thicker, and the bushes less tamed in this area of the woods, which kept the little cave comfortably hidden from all those who didn't know it was there.

However, after a few adventurous uglies had discovered it, the spot had turned into a common meeting place for everyone who had the courage to sneak out at night. This was also the place where Zac and Jazzy felt the most at home, taking on the role as the oldest, and 'wisest' uglies, awing the younger littlies with their stories and tricks.

Jazzy shifted her feet on the hoverboard's smooth surface, her grippy shoes squeaked quietly from the movements. She glanced down briefly before focusing her gaze forward, directing the board easily around the trees. The wind rushed around her, whistling in her ears, blocking out all the other sounds.

Except one. Shasta squealed occasionally in her ear, especially around any sharp corners. Jazzy flinched at a shrill scream, "Shasta!"

Shasta laughed nervously while clinging to her tightly. "What?!"

"Shush!"

"You shush!" She closed her eyes tightly.

"Are you two alright?" Zac asked as he cruised up beside them. He stood relaxed, and looked completely comfortable on his board, in fact, he had customized it himself.

Jazzy looked over at him, sending him a pleading look. He returned it with a sympathetic smile. "Don't get too far behind, alright? I'm going to check on a group of younger ones up ahead." He said before shifting his foot forward, sending his hoverboard shooting ahead.

"Sure, I'll just lose some extra baggage on my way there", Jazzy muttered between her teeth as Shasta gave another squeal.

"Oh my, this is so scary, how do you ride these things all of the time?!" Shasta exclaimed while clinging to the girl in front of her.

Jazzy shifted, keeping control of the board. "Very easily", she muttered. She sighed in relief when the cave came into view.

* * *

**AN: **Okay, that's the first blurb of a chapter. I was going to make it longer, but thought I'd cut it off at this point. Thanks for reading. Until chapter 2.


	2. Chapter 2 Master of the Myth

**AN: **Well, here's the next chapter. I hope that it wasn't too long before an update, I thought that this was actually pretty good for me :P. Thanks so much to all who have already reviewed and added the first chapter to their favorites. It's very encouraging, and inspiring to get so much feedback already. I take any review, criticism, advice, or compliments, all of them are important. Anyways, onto Chapter two.

**Chapter 2 - Master of the Myth **

"Alright, littlies, pipe down!" Tad, a fellow senior ugly, raised his voice while standing to his full, tall height. He grunted when he bumped his head against the low area in the roof of the cave, earning a burst of giggles from the younger uglies.

He smirked sheepishly while rubbing his head, but looked at them seriously. "Really, if you want to hear a story from one of the masters tonight, you'd better quiet down." The teen insisted, earning sudden silence.

Jazzy smiled. "That's your cue", she nudged Zac in the ribs with her elbow. "O great master." She grinned.

Zac smirked. "Are you sure you don't want to take this one?" He asked casually, though his eyes burned in anticipation with his tale.

Jazzy shook her head. "No, you had better be the one to awe them tonight." She smiled again when his eyes lit up and he got up quickly to take his place in the seat before the fire. She knew him too well.

The young man settled himself on the designated seat, which was really just an old beanbag chair that had been chosen as the _Storyteller's Seat_. He looked around at the ugly faces before him, taking each of them in with a mysterious look, his eyes shadowed by the dancing flames. "This is a new story; one that I guarantee will send shivers up your spines." He murmured.

"You always say that", a little boy chirped up while looking at the older teen with his face set in a defiant look, but his eyes were as wide as saucers.

Zac grinned faintly. "I do, don't I? Well, this story isn't about haunted hovercars, or rise of the undead rusties…no, this story is about pretties."

The little boy wrinkled his nose along with the rest of his littlie peers. "Pretties? What sort of scary story could you make about pretties?"

The teen's eyes gleamed brighter in the firelight. "You'll just have to listen, won't you?"

Jazzy shifted and leaned back against a rock, shuffling over slightly to make the hard surface more comfortable against her back. "Alright guys, quiet down so he can start." She commanded lightly.

Zac waited until the littlies had settled before he leaned forward slightly. He reached down and picked up a stick, poking it into the flames. The smoldering kindling sparked and popped, sending sparks spraying up. He looked through these sparks to the anticipating littlies. "This story is about a new type of pretties…ones that were not human, but were something else…something animal-like…they were called Creatures…" He started lowly.

Jazzy watched for a moment before closing her eyes, allowing her mind to drift into seeing the images that Zac described slowly, dramatically…

* * *

"_Sir, the new pretty has been completed and is awaiting your analysis." A short, stocky Scientist in a lab coat commented as he approached a taller man sporting a black suit. _

_The suited-man turned from looking at the large wall-monitor he had been studying. "Bring it to me." _

"_Uh, Sir…it may be better if you came to the lab to see it. We are keeping it sedated until it is entirely stable." The Scientist shifted to his other foot subtly, while stuffing his hands into the deep pockets. _

_The man raised a steel-grey eyebrow but nodded in consent. The two men left the room and walked down stark white hallways, the walls were only broken by dark steel doors. They reached a door at the end of the long corridor, which they stopped before and the Scientist tapped in a security code to the keypad waiting in the wall. _

_The door opened and both entered a dark room. The Scientist stopped and turned to look at the other man. "I must warn you, Sir, the Creature's intelligence is still in the making…though we've completed the physical development, there is still much to complete in the mental and emotional stage. The instincts are still very dominant." _

_The man chuckled. "Show me the pretty, I'm getting impatient." He demanded coolly. _

"_Sir…yes, Sir." With a deep breath the Scientist turned and started walking through the room, flipping on several lights to expose the laboratory. Finally, he reached a large, heavier steel door at the end of the room. The windows were made of iron bars with the glass missing, similar to that of a jail cell. _

"_Careful Sir, you don't want to get too close." He murmured while tapping on the keypad. The door made a loud clicking noise as the lock unbolted. The Scientist pulled it open and stepped into the room beyond, flicking a switch. _

_His boss stepped in behind him silently and looked into the small room as low light filled its shadows. Near the far side of the room there was a large cage, and in that cage a huddled form. He stepped closer; ignoring the chirping warnings from the Scientist while he peered into the dark shadows of the cage. He leaned in closer to see…Golden green eyes stared out at him. A low growl echoed from the shadows…_

"Raaaawr!", Zac suddenly yelled, lunging up to his feet.

The tense and silent littlies screamed, throwing themselves away and clinging to each other.

Jazzy gasped sharply and winced at the higher pitched scream from beside her as Shasta clung to her tightly.

"Oh my gosh! Zac you idiot!" Shasta shouted indignantly while she let go of Jazzy. "That was so mean!" She got to her feet in a huff and stomped over to the grinning Zac, raising her hand to slap him.

Zac shielded his face with his arms while snickering. "Come on, Shasta, it wasn't that bad…You should have seen your face."

Shasta glared at him dangerously while crossing her arms and looking away, "Hmph. That was not funny, _at all." _

Jazzy grinned while watching. She looked around at the huddling littlies. "Aw, c'mon guys, it was just a story." She smiled while crawling over to coax them out. _Well, he did manage to give them a scare, never challenge the story master. _

The littlie who had challenged Zac earlier stared at the older boy with wide eyes, and then he turned his gaze to Jazzy. "Jazzy..."

Jazzy looked at the little boy and raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

He blushed deeply. "…I wet my pants."

The girl stared at him for a moment before looking over at the two older teens. "Zac, this one gets to ride with you." She grinned faintly while getting to her feet.

Zac looked at her while Tad grinned widely. "What? Why?" He glanced at the littlie. "What…oh…oh come on!"

Jazzy grinned wider at his expression. "You brought it on yourself, _Master storyteller." _She purred smoothly while walking up to him and patting his chest. "Enjoy the ride." She glanced back at the other waiting littlies. "C'mon kiddos, let's head home."

The early morning sunlight poured in through the window, filling the plain dorm with its growing glow. Jazzy opened her eyes slowly and blinked against the bright, warm light. She sighed softly and sat up, running a hand through her tousled, tangled hair. She hadn't brushed it after the flying last night, she was going to pay for that.

Her gaze wandered around the sunny room, from the clothes on the floor to the smaller monitor on the wall. She hadn't used it for awhile, but no doubt Shasta had judging by the absence of any dust. Finally her gaze landed on the calendar pinned to the wall close to her bed. Jazzy reached over to tug it off and settled back to look at it. The bright red marker immediately caught her eye. It circled the day, her birthday, that was the day that she'd be receiving the transformation…that was the day that she'd become a pretty. That was the day she had been waiting sixteen years for; finally she could get rid of this ugly face, this ugly body…and this ugly personality. She had to wait only a few more weeks.

Shasta mumbled in her sleep across the room and rolled over in the tangled mess of blankets. Jazzy glanced over before she put the calendar back and got to her feet. With a yawn she stretched her arms up, stretching her whole body upwards before she wandered over to the closet. _Hm, Saturday, which means no ugly uniform…but usual ugly clothes instead. _She wrinkled her nose while looking at the selection she had left out the night before after stuffing the black clothes far into the shadows in the back, far from any sight of a possible room-inspection.

Jazzy sighed while shuffling through the clothing. _Boring…bland…stupid…ugly…just plain ugly. _She couldn't help but growl in irritation before grabbing a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt. Chucking off her shorts and tank top she pulled on the clothes with a defiant, annoyed air. This was another thing she wasn't going to be missing, stupid, irritating clothing. The pretties always had nice clothing…pretty clothing.

The next order of business was to tame the unruly beast that sat waiting on her head. Jazzy walked over to her bed and sat down on it while grabbing a brush from her nightstand. While setting her teeth against the oncoming battle, she ran the bristles through the tangled, mid-back length mess. The brush caught once…twice…three times before letting go. _Ow! Ow, ow! _

It took several more moments of angry mutterings and tugging until the task was complete. Jazzy sighed and put the brush down, picking up her little mirror instead for the usual inspection. She wrinkled her nose while staring at her reflection. The familiar dark blue eyes stared back at her, large and shielded by long, but thin lashes. There was the familiar pale complexion, broken by light pink, small lips and a spattering of freckles over a pert nose. There was the same small chin, which rounded the end of a soft jawline and face-shape. Straight, dirty-blonde hair framed her face, and covered part of it with bangs and matching eyebrows that covered the worst part of all: the terrible forehead. How she hated her forehead, the large, high forehead, her worst foe when it came to her face. _I will be only too happy to see you gone, you…ugly forehead. _

Jazzy snorted and paused to brush her fingers over some small bumps breaking her usually smooth complexion (her only blessing) around her mouth. "You've got to be kidding", she muttered while scratching at them with her nail. Nope, they were still there, blemishes to only mock her already ugly face. _Wonderful. _

A knock on the door broke her from the irritated inspection. She looked up and blinked for a moment. "Hello? Come in." She called in a hushed tone.

The door opened quietly and a familiar face peered around it. "What's taking you so long? Did you sleep in?" Zac asked while looking at her. He raised a dark eyebrow then smirked. "Oh, you're staring at yourself again."

Jazzy gave him a look. "Shut up. No, I didn't sleep in, and I am just making sure I look somewhat presentable." She got to her feet and shoved the mirror back into a drawer. _I forgot we were going boarding this morning. _She grabbed a simple black sweater and pulled it on before heading towards the door, hopping on one foot while pulling on her grippy shoes.

Zac leaned against the wall across from the door. He looked at her once she had closed the door. "You shouldn't spend so much time looking in a mirror. Nothing's going to change until the operation." He shrugged. "Besides, it's just me."

Jazzy looked at him. "I know, but I like to look at my face and try to imagine…what it'll be like when it's different." She grinned faintly while looking at him. "Maybe you should do the same and you'll have a better chance with life." She stepped up in front of him and reached up to tousle his already tousled dark hair. "Did you even brush it?"

He swatted her hand away and ran his hand through it. He shrugged again. "Nope", with a smirk he stood up straight and started walking down the hallway. The grippy soles of his shoes squeaked quietly on the hard flooring.

"Of course you didn't. Honestly, even though we're uglies we should still care _somewhat _about how we look, or else they may not even want to operate on us out of fear." Jazzy joked while following after him, keeping her voice and steps quiet enough to avoid waking any curious littlies or other uglies in the early morning.

"Mm", he murmured without looking at her. He kept quiet until they reached the safety of the outdoors before turning to look at her with his characteristic smile. "Ready for boarding?"

Jazzy studied him for a moment before she smiled. "Always, did you disinfect your board after the ride home last night?" Her smile widened to a grin.

Zac's expression fell into a scowl. "Yeah, I spent an extra hour on that last night. Did you have to give me the kid that not only wet his pants, but also gets motion-sickness when going too fast? You know how I ride." He muttered.

Jazzy's grin widened. "You shouldn't ride like such a maniac with a littlie, anyways." She watched as his scowl only deepened before her grin shrank to an apologetic smile. "Alright, I'm sorry that you had to put up with him last night, and that your board paid for it…he didn't enjoy it too well either." She murmured while putting her arms around her friend, pulling him into a hug.

Zac sighed after a moment and put his arms around her, returning the embrace. "Its fine", he muttered, before smirking widely. He shoved her into a bush casually and took off at a run towards another group of thicker bushes, the hiding spot of the two boards.

"Zac! Get back here!" Jazzy yelled at him while struggling to sit up in the clingy vegetation. _Oh, he's so getting it. _She watched as the boy snapped his fingers and leapt onto the board as soon as it rose from the bushes. "Zac! You better run!" Jazzy crawled out of the bushes and sprinted towards the bushes just as he easily veered away.

"Yeah, right. Come and get me, bush-butt." Zac taunted while coasting away backwards. He smirked at her when she shot him a glare and jumped onto her waiting board. He turned and zipped away just as she was within a few feet of him.

Jazzy muttered to herself but couldn't help the grin on her face as she watched him zig- zag lazily away. He glanced back once and made a face at her before turning and speeding away towards the forested park. _It's going to be like that, is it?_

"Fine, then that's how it's going to be." Jazzy said to herself while shifting her right foot forward sharply, sending the board speeding ahead. She relaxed into a comfortable riding position, keeping her knees bent slightly and rested on the balls of her feet for stability and guidance, with her arms out to the side for balance. She loved boarding, and loved racing and these games of chase all the more.

Zac glanced back again when hearing the faint whirr of the following board. His smoky eyes gleamed with adrenaline before he looked forward and shifted his foot just slightly. He shot ahead and flew into the forest, weaving through the trees and soon disappearing.

Jazzy shifted slightly and rode after him, entering into the park. She weaved around the trees with increasing speed until they were a blur. The branches smacked against her and the grey bark seemed to just narrowly brush against her at other times, but the feeling was hardly noticeable. Jazzy could feel her eyes burning with the thrill of the chase while she looked ahead, trying to spy her target. She smiled. There he was.


	3. Chapter 3 The Chase and a Promise

**AN: **Wow, this took me forever to post up. So sorry for that, but being busy and procrastination got the better of me. Thanks for all the great reviews. Thanks for your patience too, I can definitely say that the next chapter will be up much sooner. This chapter has a lot of dialogue/mush and less action, but it's important, so bear with me. J Read and enjoy.

**Chapter 3 – The Chase and a Promise **

_He has no idea…for once; I am going to be the one to win this. _Jazzy grinned faintly while easing her board around a tree slowly. She cautiously peered out around it. She had lost sight of him when he suddenly turned off into a shadowed grove of trees, but that didn't daunt her.

A flash of black and grey caught her eye for a second, Zac's hoodie. He zipped out of the safety of the trees and broke across a clearing nearby. He looked around with an alert expression while he searched for his competition.

Jazzy watched him for a few moments before abruptly shifting her foot forward. She shot out from behind the tree and sped right towards him. Her actions earned a look of momentary surprise before he smirked and sped away from her.

"You need to try harder than that, Jazz!" He called back to her while speeding away. He weaved through the trees once again, heading deeper into the forest.

"You were just lucky!" Jazzy shouted back while speeding after him. She dodged around a tree and banked to dodge another.

Zac flew ahead smoothly, easily dodging around the trees. He crouched slightly to zip underneath an over-hanging tree, then shot up to fly above them.

Jazzy looked up before following quickly, bursting out of the shadows and into the warm morning sunshine. She looked around and slowed her board. _Where'd he go? _He was gone…again.

She sighed and took the moment to gaze around. The sunlight gleamed off the smooth surface of her board, and radiated against the lush green below her feet. A cool breeze brushed over her, pushing the board forward to coast leisurely on the currents. Jazzy smiled faintly at the peaceful morning scene and closed her eyes, slipping her hands into her pockets. It were these sorts of mornings that made everything easy, that seemed to make the ugliness of being an ugly melt…and the operation of being turned seem unimportant or far away.

A sudden, familiar yell broke through the quiet atmosphere, echoing up from the forest below. Jazzy looked down quickly. "Zac!" She cried while shifting and dipping down into the trees again. The green blurred around her while she sped through them, heading in the direction of the voice.

The trees suddenly thinned out into smaller bushes and swamp-weed as Jazzy flew out into a clearing. She glanced around at the pond while slowly coasting her board through the tall cattails. "…Zac? Where are you?" She called while looking around. She stopped abruptly when the sunlight gleamed off of metal in the corner of her eye. Jazzy turned and paused when she spotted Zac's board hovering vacant above the water.

_Oh no, did he fall in? Where is he? _She searched the murky water below her feet anxiously. "Please answer me, Zac. Zac!" Jazzy fought back her growing panic when no answering voice replied to her calls. _He knows how to swim, he wouldn't drown…unless if he hit his head…unless if he was hurt. _She bit her lip. "Zac, come on."

It seemed like ages passed in slow motion while Jazzy drifted over the murky water, straining to see into the darkness of it. She searched for any sign of the familiar hoodie, or the dark hair, but nothing met her gaze. Jazzy inhaled deeply to slow her pounding heart. She could feel tears pricking her eyes. "Zac!"

"What?" The familiar voice chirped up behind her. Jazzy gasped sharply and whirled around quickly to be met with a grin. She narrowed her eyes and glared at him. "Zac, where were you? I was looking everywhere for you." She growled.

He looked up at her with some confusion for a moment, but then his eyes twinkled faintly. "Aw, were you worried about me, Jazz?"

Jazzy turned away from him. "Ugh, you idiot." She growled angrily, crossing her arms. _That idiot, he scared me so badly, and he acts like it's nothing. _

Zac watched her for a few moments. "Come on, Jazzy, I didn't mean to scare you." He drifted on his board lightly, moving closer. He reached out and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "I was just on the shore, and couldn't hear you calling…oh, and I had yelled because of a rabid squirrel."

Jazzy glanced over her shoulder, studying his apologetic expression and faint smile. She sighed slowly, easing away the angry tension. "Fine, but if you do that again then I'll…you'll never live it down." She threatened, but couldn't hold back the smile.

He smiled. "Fine, but you were worried about me." The smile widened to a mischievous grin.

She turned in his arms and hugged him. "Worried about you? Hardly." Jazzy shifted slightly and drew her arms back quickly, shoving him off his board. She laughed and quickly zipped away a few feet on her board.

After a shout and a loud splash Zac surfaced. "Oh, you had better be flying away for that one!" He called while smirking. While treading the dirty water he reached up to wipe dark hair from his eyes and the water from his face. He watched as she sped away for a few moments. His smirk widened. "Hey, Jazz! Look out for the…"

Jazzy's eyebrows knit together in confusion while she looked back at him. "What did you say?" She called while speeding away. The thought struck her too late as she turned around quickly…and became acquainted with a low-hanging branch.

She hardly knew what had hit her until she splashed into the water, and her board went whizzing away unattended. The cold water was a shock as it closed over her, its murk blocked out the light as gravity pulled her under. Jazzy spluttered and instinctively struck out with her arms while trying to get her feet under her to push herself back up towards the surface.

It was when she hit the muddy bottom that she knew something was wrong. She could feel a strong tugging on her pant leg as something in the mud snagged onto it. Jazzy grit her teeth and refused to inhale, inspite of her screaming lungs. Reaching down frantically she tugged at her snagged pant leg, desperately, blindly trying to free it.

_I can't get it, I can't…_Jazzy kicked her foot roughly and squeezed her eyes shut tightly against the muddy water. Her lungs ached for air, and made her head fuzzy, making it all the harder to think. She fought the terrible instinct to open her mouth, to cry out, anything that would mean her drowning.

Just when she thought she couldn't endure the pressure any longer, the water around her shifted and an arm wrapped around her waist. Jazzy struggled for a moment until feeling her pant-leg abruptly torn away from its captivity and herself pulled quickly upwards. She instinctively struck out with her legs until she felt herself burst out from the dark water and into fresh air.

Jazzy coughed roughly and wiped soaked hair from her eyes before opening them. She inhaled sharply and coughed again while resting back weakly against the person behind her.

"Easy, you're alright now, Jazz", Zac murmur reassuringly. He shifted his arms around her before paddling towards the shore, towing her along with him. They reached the muddy shore after a few moments and crawled out from the cold water.

Jazzy crawled up to the grass and let herself sprawl over it; she didn't yet trust herself to stand or to even speak. She coughed quietly and closed her eyes wearily, allowing her head to rest against the soft grasses while she waited for her hammering pulse to slow down.

Zac eased down beside her on his back. He lay there quietly for a few moments to catch his breath before looking over at her. "Jazz, are you alright?"

She nodded slightly before looking over at him with a faint smile. "Thanks, Zac…"

He nodded slightly and studied her face for a few moments before he looked back out at the water. "Don't mention it; just don't go swimming in the pond for awhile without at least warning me first, alright?" He looked at her with his characteristic smile.

Jazzy smirked faintly and shook her head slightly. "Yeah, I got it." She shifted and pushed herself up to sit, hugging her knees lightly while looking at the water. She couldn't help a shudder while studying the dark surface. _I almost drowned…_

Zac sat up beside her; he glanced at her for a moment. "Are you sure you're alright?"

The concern in his voice caught her attention, earning him a strange look as she turned to look at him. It was rare to hear that sort of worry in his voice. She smiled faintly in reassurance before smirking. "Come on, Zac, you're scaring me. Do I look dead or something?"

He smiled. "Nah, not that dead, but I'm just double-checking." He looked away from her and out to the water. "You really should watch where you're boarding."

Jazzy rolled her eyes. "Alright, alright, don't start lecturing me. I didn't mean to hit the tree, and you distracted me in the first place."

Zac glanced at her for a moment but looked back to the water without a response. He shifted slightly and plucked a piece of long grass and started to chew on it contently.

Jazzy smiled faintly to herself and looked out at the water. She sighed after a few moments. "Zac…something has been bothering me."

"Mm?"

She bit her lip while considering. "Well, my operation is in a few weeks..."

"Mhm?"

"Yours is a few weeks afterwards, but…will you come and see me before-hand?"

He glanced at her. "Before-hand?"

Jazzy nodded slightly. "Yeah, when I'm a Pretty, but you're still an Ugly. I want you to come and see me."

Zac looked at her fully, studying her with smoky eyes. "Jazz, are you worried that I'll treat you differently when you're a Pretty?"

"I'm worried that I'll treat you differently, or forget you…or that you'll treat me differently. I don't know."

"You're babbling now, Jazz."

Jazzy sighed. "I know, I'm just nervous about it, Zac. I can't wait for the operation and to finally get out of this Ugly body, and to grow-up into a Pretty." She drew her legs closer to herself. "I'm just scared that I'll be in New-pretty town alone until you have your operation."

Zac studied her quietly before looking out at the water. "Jazzy, it'll be fine."

"That's not the answer I'm looking for." She murmured pointedly. She turned her gaze to look at him. "Come on, Zac…"

He sighed slowly. "You know I don't agree with-"

"Why don't you? You've always argued with me on this, Zac." Jazzy cut him off sharply. Her eyes flashed faintly with old irritation. _Why does he have to be so weird with this?_

His eyes flickered, turning defensive. "Why do you have to go along with the crowd?"

"It's not 'going along with the crowd', it's how it is." Jazzy argued back. "We're born as littlies, we become Uglies, and then we're turned to Pretties until we become Crumblies. It's how it is!"

"Why does it have to be like that? What if someone wants to live like themselves instead of doing all of that?"

Jazzy sighed in heated exasperation. "Why can't you just accept that this is what we are? We're like this so we don't end up messed up like…like the Rusties. They were all ugly, and their lives were terrible."

Zac looked away. "Were their lives really so terrible?"

She knit her eyebrows together in confusion while watching him. "Of course they were terrible, Zac." She looked away to look at the water. "I mean, look at what happened to them."

"I doubt that it's because they were ugly." He muttered stubbornly.

Jazzy narrowed her eyes with another flare of irritation. "Zac, they were ugly and their lives were awful. Our lives are better because we're not like prehistoric, juvenile…people! The most important thing is…"

Zac glanced at her. "Is what?"

"We're not…we don't have to be ugly forever. We don't have to die ugly." Jazzy murmured before looking at him. "Just accept that we're all ugly, and the operation is going to fix that! Okay?" She stopped at the look in his eyes. "…Zac?"

He stared at her silently; his eyes had the darkest, most solemn expression she had ever seen on his usually cheerful face. A slow, low sigh escaped him while he looked away. "…You're not ugly, Jazz. You never have been…you don't need the operation to be pretty." He murmured.

Jazzy stared at him silently, her mouth slightly open. She was dumbfounded. _Pretty? He doesn't know what he's saying...I'm an Ugly just like everyone else. _Nonetheless, she couldn't ignore the warm squiggle in her stomach at the unexpected, almost explosive compliment.

She bit her lip lightly, looking away when feeling faint heat in her cheeks. "Zac, I…thanks."

Zac glanced at her and nodded slightly. He reached up and took the grass from his mouth, tossing it lightly to the ground. "We should get going", he said while rising to his feet, brushing some mud from his pants.

Jazzy looked up at him and nodded, pushing herself up to her feet. "At least the boards didn't go too far", she commented while following him down the bank towards where the boards had caught themselves in the cattails.

"Yeah, at least." He replied without looking back at her.

Jazzy didn't say anything else while helping him free the two trapped boards, or when she stepped onto the slippery surface and followed him out of the swampy area. She didn't know what to say, it was rare that they fought like that, and even more so that he gave her a compliment.

It wasn't until they had coasted through the forest and reached the edge of the tree-line that Zac slowed his board and drifted quietly. Jazzy looked up at him.

"Jazzy." Zac looked ahead of himself for a few moments before he turned to look at her. A faint smile came over his expression. "When you're a Pretty…I promise that I'll come and visit you…I promise I'll visit you wherever you are, and no matter what."

Jazzy felt her pulse quicken faintly. She managed a faint smile. "You really promise? No matter if I'm a bubble-headed Pretty?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I promise."


	4. Chapter 4 Surprise

**AN**: What is this? An updated chapter? Maybe. I apologize to my readers for this terribly long waiting-span for this chapter. Unfortunately, the horrors of writer's block struck, there were continuous internet problems, and I am over-all rather bad with my updating schedule. However, excuses aside, please enjoy the chapter, as much of a little blip as it is, and I'm already started on the next chapter, which will be much quicker and actually plot-stimulating. Anyways, onward J

**Chapter 4 – Surprise**

There was no warning or mercy for Jazzy that morning. She had been dreaming of it for years, but also dreading it as the day came closer. With nail-biting tension she had watched that calendar as the day slowly crept closer, knowing that her days of freedom were so close…but it was going to be a painful cost.

"Jazzy! Wake up!" The pillow came down with unrelenting force. WHOMP.

Jazzy jerked awake quickly, then groaned. She pulled her own pillow over her head for protection. "Go away", she mumbled.

"Oh c'mon, get your big, lazy butt out of bed!" WHOMP

_Big, lazy butt? She's one to talk. _Jazzy sighed and slowly drew her pillow away to glare with bleary eyes up at her attacker. "Shasta, what do you want?"

Shasta smirked widely while she held the pillow ready for another hit. "It took you long enough to wake up." She rolled her eyes and turned away. "I want to borrow your blue tee-shirt."

"I thought you still had it." Jazzy muttered while snuggling under her covers again. One glance at the clock told her it was still _way_ too early to get up, especially when it was only a school day.

"I don't know. You put it somewhere when you went on that cleaning-spree a few days ago." Shasta snorted. "Honestly, you can be such a clean-freak."

"Mhm."

"Are you even listening to me?" Shasta wandered back over. "Come on, Jazzy, you have to get up and find that shirt for me."

Jazzy sighed and peered out from beneath the blanket. She rubbed her hand over her eyes then through her hair. "Why do you want it so bad?"

"Well, I want to look good for the party after school I'm sure you, Zac, and Taddie have been planning for me." Shasta glanced over her shoulder with a knowing, coy smile.

Jazzy blinked for a moment when the realization dawned. The eve of the day had arrived. She looked at her blankly anyways. "The party?"

Shasta's smile widened. "Don't play dumb with me, Jazzy. I know that you guys have been planning my birthday bash for awhile, right?" Her eyes gleamed brightly with excitement. "Isn't this exciting? I'll be turning in just one more day, _finally_!"

"Really? That was today?" Jazzy asked while raising an eyebrow.

Her sarcasm was met with an incredulous stare, which turned to a glare. "You had better not have forgotten, Jazzy." Shasta growled.

Jazzy fought to hide a grin, and stared at her roommate with a serious expression. "Shasta, I would never do that." She pushed back the covers and swung her legs over to rest her feet on the floor.

Shasta gave her a look before turning away with a _hmph._

With a smile to herself, Jazzy walked towards the bathroom. "The shirt is in my top drawer, by the way." She tossed over her shoulder before closing the door behind her.

_I can't believe that it's already her birthday…just one more day, and this room will be mine. _Jazzy took a moment to dance a happy-jig across the bathroom before stopping to look at her reflection in the wall-screen for the morning scrutinizing.

A scream suddenly pierced the quiet air, echoing from the other room. Jazzy's gaze snapped over to the door as she whirled around and abruptly lunged to it, throwing it open. "Shasta?"

"Jazzy! Help me!" Shasta screamed while she frantically fought against two black-clad young men who were in the middle of wrapping her up in a blanket.

"Hey, quit hitting", the taller boy complained while grabbing her arms and pinning them to her sides. The other attacker continued bundling her into the fabric until she represented a plaid sausage.

"Got her, let's go."

"Hold it", Jazzy commanded while she stepped towards them. "What are you doing?"

"We're taking this ugly and going. Don't you dare try to stop us", the taller boy warned while picking up the squirming mass, draping her over his shoulder.

"Actually, we'll take her with us, we can't risk any witnesses", the other young man stepped towards Jazzy before she could respond, grabbing her and throwing her over his shoulder with practiced ease.

Jazzy grunted quietly at the pressure on her ribcage. "I won't tell anyone, I promise. Let me go." She grit her teeth and struggled in his hold.

"Quiet. There's no use in arguing." He said coolly, tightening his hold around her torso to keep her steady. He glanced over at his partner and nodded before turning and stepping out of the room, steadily leading the way down the hallway.

Jazzy shifted again but decided against squirming in her captor's hold, the idea of plummeting face-first into the floor below wasn't all too appealing. Fortunately, the escape down the hallway and through the academy dorms wasn't long enough to cause too much humiliation.

Her captor dropped her down on the grass with unexpected gentleness once they had reached the outside, and were hidden from view around the back of the building. She looked over as Shasta was plopped on the grass non-too-gracefully due to her squirming.

"Leff me gwof!" Shasta screamed with a muffled voice while flailing violently in the blanket. She finally managed to kick the blanket away and threw it off of herself while sitting up. Her hair stood up on all ends and her face was flushed from both the exertion and anger. "What is wrong with you idiots?!" She shrieked while lunging to her feet and looking at the two young men.

"Calm down, Shasta", one of the boys started, but was cut off when she reached out and abruptly snagged the black mask on his face, ripping it off.

Jazzy grinned widely at her roommate's bewildered face as the other culprit pulled off his mask.

Shasta stared open-mouthed. "Tad…Zac?"

They both grinned and then laughed.

"Who did you think it was? Actual kidnappers?" Zac asked while chuckling. His smoky eyes twinkled mischievously.

"She probably wished we were some pretty hunks" Tad joked, before howling with laughter at her outraged expression and attempt at hitting him.

Shasta sputtered before whirling around to look at Jazzy. "You knew all about this?" She growled.

Jazzy bit her lip while holding back her laughter. "…surprise?"

"This is not the birthday surprise I had in mind!"

"Calm down, Shasta. It's only begun." Tad said casually. His brown eyes gleamed deviously.

"He's right." Zac agreed while stepping away from the group. He stepped over to the nearby bushes and pushed through the branches. They rustled and snapped back as he passed through and disappeared for a few moments. He soon re-emerged with his hands behind his back. He smiled.

Jazzy grinned knowingly while watching him. She looked at Shasta as the other girl crept closer to her.

Shasta watched him suspiciously. "What do you have, Zac?"

Zac casually held out draping pieces of fabric, which he spread out to display them to be a dog and a cat costume. "I was able to get these specially made." He grinned.

Shasta's eyes widened in horror, "I am not wearing one of those ugly things!"

"It's fitting", Tad chirped, only to be silenced by a menacing glare.

"Come on, Shasta, it's an initiation." Jazzy joked while giggling.

"Yes, but no person should have to do something this humiliating alone." Zac announced. "As you can see, there are two costumes."

Jazzy paused and looked at him, and then at the costumes, there was indeed two…then the realization dawned on her. _Oh no, you must be kidding. _

"Wait…that wasn't part of the plan."

"Plans are always spontaneous", he said while tossing the kitty costume to her. "Besides, you'll be making a lot of people's days." He grinned while throwing the dog costume to the sputtering Shasta.

Jazzy sighed and looked at the furry, fabric face of the cat. _Well…if you can't beat them…join them. _She grinned faintly and slid her bare feet into the feet of the costume and pulled it up over her shorts and tee-shirt. After squirming for a moment against the scratchy fabric, Jazzy pulled the cat head into place and peeked through the eye-holes at the shocked faces of the boys. "Well, hurry and zip me up."

* * *

"Run, Shasta!" Jazzy shrieked while laughing. She skidded through the door of the classroom and sprinted down the hallway. The angry shouting of the professor and hysterical giggling from the littlies echoed behind them.

Shasta ran after her, desperately trying to catch her breath while giggling. "I told you that dancing the chicken-dance on the teacher's desk would get us in trouble!"

"I know, but it was so worth their faces", Jazzy called over her shoulder. She scrambled to keep her footing on the slippery floor while she flew around a corner and dove into a nearby closet. She shuffled over when Shasta zipped in behind her, and then both girls collapsed onto the floor while panting.

"You know, it really was", Shasta said while reaching up and unzipping her costume slightly in order to pull off the dog-head. Her face was flushed again, and her hair was even more frizzy and sweaty than earlier, but her eyes shone brightly from the excitement.

Jazzy pulled off the kitty-head and ran her hand through her hair while resting back against the cool wall. She could feel the heat burning on her cheeks and was certain that she looked like a mess, but she grinned. "I think we've almost managed to run into every classroom in this building."

Shasta nodded in agreement. She took a deep breath and rested back against the wall. "I think so, too. We might be pushing our luck, though."

"Luck schmuck. Today is your last day, Shasta", Jazzy smirked and closed her eyes. "Besides…it's about time you did actually did something fun?" She mumbled teasingly.

"…Mm."

Jazzy opened her eyes after a moment and looked through the dark to the other girl at her unusually quiet tone.

Shasta shifted after a moment and fingered the fabric of her costume. "…I never knew that things like this could be fun." She murmured. "I had always thought that only being a pretty would be fun."

Jazzy tilted her head slightly. An odd quietness and sympathy tugged in her chest. Isn't that what they all thought? Even herself was always thinking about how much better life could be when she was a pretty…that was all that an ugly lived for, anyways. "Shasta…there are still fun things to do while being an ugly, too…but, you won't have to worry about that anymore…" She stopped when she sense the sudden change over the other girl.

A soft sound escaped Shasta, a sob. "I know! I just wish I would have thought…I never wanted to do anything with any of you…but really, I did." She bit her lip while trying to stifle another sob. "Jazz…I'm scared. I'm so scared about turning; I don't know what will happen…I'll be alone." She turned her gaze to the other girl, her tears gleaming in the faint glow from the light set high above on the wall.

Jazzy stared at her roommate. She felt bewildered, confused, she had never considered Shasta to be anything other than her snobby, self-centered, obnoxious, and essentially ugly self. _I'm so blind. _She chided herself silently, while shifting closer to the other girl. "Shasta, it'll be okay."

Shasta burst into tears and moved closer, burying her face into Jazzy's shoulder. Jazzy sighed softly and put her arms around her roommate. No, not just her roommate, she admitted to herself, but her friend. She knew that in spite of their differences, and constant fighting, she was going to miss the mess-making, annoying, but lovable girl at the other side of her room.

"Shasta, you won't be alone, not for long." Jazzy murmured soothingly, tightening her arms comfortingly around the girl.

Shasta sniffled and drew away after a few moments, looking up at her. "Jazz, promise me that you'll come and visit me, even when I'm a pretty."

Jazzy paused for a moment as the words struck her. _The very thing I made Zac promise…_Jazzy smiled faintly, sincerely. "Even if you're a snobby, bubble-headed pretty, I'll make sure to come and visit you. I'll even clean up your room."

Shasta giggled quietly through her tears and nodded. "You had better, I'll just mess it up, again." She sniffed and reached up to wipe away the tears with a doggy-paw.

Jazzy smiled again and went to reply, but stopped when the door suddenly opened, shedding light into the room. She winced and looked up quickly. "Zac? Tad?"

"Finally, we were looking for you two everywhere", Zac said while looking down at the two girls.

"We were hiding from the teacher, after Jazzy had the brilliant idea to jump around on his desk." Shasta rolled her eyes. "What took you two so long, anyways? I'm sick of this stinky costume and want my normal clothes", she complained while getting to her feet.

"Yes, little puppy, you can run off and get dressed", Tad smirked. He paused and waved a hand dramatically in front of his face. "Whew, maybe grab a shower, too, even though you already smell like a sweaty, wet dog."

Shasta glared at him and reached over to whack him roughly. "Speak for yourself, you always stink."

Zac looked down at Jazzy. He studied her closely for a moment while offering his hand and helping her to her feet. "Are you alright?"

Jazzy looked at him and smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine, in spite of being stuck with the whiney puppy for a good few hours." She muttered and stepped past him as dignified as possible. She glanced over at Shasta and caught her smile, which she returned before looking back to Zac. "Come on, let's get out of here. The birthday bash will be starting soon."

"Oh yeah, I forgot that there was more." Tad chirped while scratching his head. He glanced at Shasta.

Shasta's face lightened up. "Really? A party?" She squealed and threw her arms around the taller young man in glee before turning and grabbing Jazzy's arm. "Jazzy, we have to get ready! I'm so doing your hair!" Without waiting for a reply, she turned and started running happily, and dragged Jazzy after her.

Jazzy groaned and looked over her shoulder to send a pleading look to the boys. They both simply shrugged and grinned. She sighed and looked back to stumbling after Shasta.

_Again…if you can't beat them…join them. _She smiled to herself.

The trees whipped past, their branches just grazing the smooth sides of the hoverboard and the two passengers aboard it. Jazzy shifted her foot and directed the board to weave around the trees. She glanced back at Shasta, who was gripping onto her waist for dear life.

* * *

"Shasta, calm down."

"I am calm!" Shasta squeezed her eyes tightly shut, refusing to allow them to tear-up from the wind. She had taken Jazzy's earlier threats of being dumped in a bur-bush seriously and had kept as quiet as possible the entire ride.

Jazzy grinned faintly. Not everyone could get used to the feeling of a board. She turned her focus back to the familiar pathway and increased their speed. The hide-out soon came into view.

With a quick movement, the hoverboard banked at her command and skidded to a stop outside the cave entrance. Jazzy looked back at Shasta, who slowly peeked at her. She offered a smile. "Maybe I'll teach you how to ride someday."

Shasta snorted. "Yeah, right. We might get along with some things, but I refuse to ever ride one of these by myself." She stated while stepping unsteadily off of the board. She stumbled for a step, but was caught by the strong hands of Tad as he seemed to appear out of the dark to meet the girls.

Jazzy smiled to herself at the sight of the two as they paused for a moment. Her smile widened when he kept his hand around hers and the two of them walked towards the entrance together. _Well, I won't be the only one missing her these next few weeks. _

"Jazz? Are you daydreaming, again?" Zac's familiar voice broke into her thoughts. He looked at her with a faint, knowing smirk. "Come on, the party has already started."

Jazzy blinked for a moment and nodded. She stepped down from the board, and then picked it up to hide it in the bushes with the rest. Zac waited for her calmly before turning and walking with her towards the entrance.

The two of them entered together and looked around. Jazzy smiled widely at the colorful decorations hanging from the ceiling, and draped around the beanbag chair, which was assumingly the seat-of-honor. She glanced around at the snacks and drinks set off to one side, which were already being dug into by eager uglies. "Aw, Zac, you two outdid yourselves."

He smiled widely. "Isn't it fitting? In spite of how much of a pain she is, we're all going to miss Shasta."

Jazzy laughed and nodded in agreement, and then the sound of Tad's voice drew her attention.

"Pipe down, everybody; it's time to toast the birthday-girl." His voice rang out over the mumbling voices of the uglies and littlies, who hushed and turned their attention to him.

Tad paused for a moment and then smiled. "For five years I have known Shasta, and each of those years have proven to be both painful and special." He grinned at her scowl, and then continued. "However, tomorrow will be the day that she will be turning sixteen, and then leaving us." His voice quieted after a moment. "I think I speak for all of us when I say that Shasta has been a meaningful part of our group and that she will be missed...that is until we all meet again in New-pretty town."

"What I want to say is…Happy birthday, and congratulations, Shasta. You will soon be a pretty…though I think you already are." Faint color crept over his face at that point, but he continued valiantly. "So, join me everybody in saying, Happy Birthday Shasta!" He held up a cup of fizzing soda and smiled widely.

Jazzy laughed as she and Zac clapped and cheered along with the rest of the group. She felt her smile widening across her face as Shasta leapt up and hugged Tad tightly, and Zac broke into cat-calls.

_The fear has faded for the night, let's just celebrate for now and just be ourselves…The changes of our lives can wait until tomorrow. Happy birthday. _


	5. Chapter 5 Routine

**AN:** Why hello. How long has it been? 4 months, six? It's been quite awhile, I know, since I last updated. Life really caught up with me and caused my writing urges to deflate and drop off the face of the planet, and I thought about leaving this story. However! I'm back with this chapter that I actually wrote a few months ago, but didn't post up, and due to the encouragement your reviews, I think I'm back in the game. I appreciate all of my old readers who may still be waiting for this story, and welcome to all of those new readers who have found this story. This chapter is a little short, but hey, it's all a step at a time. Enjoy!

**Chapter Five**

_Jazzy, it is time to wake up. Jazzy, wake up._

Jazzy groaned and slowly rolled over before reaching out to clumsily grab her interface ring from the desk. "I get it, shut up." She muttered, quieting the obnoxious, automated voice from its babbling alarm while slipping the ring onto her finger.

With a loud sigh she flopped onto her back in the tangle of blankets and opened her eyes to look at the sun-splotched ceiling. "It should be illegal for us to be dragged out of bed before noon." She mumbled.

Jazzy looked around the room when only silence answered her. It was expected by now, but she was still finding it oddly difficult to adjust to the abnormal silence in the mornings, even though it had been nearly two weeks since Shasta had left the Ugly Academy.

_Jazzy, it is time to get ready for morning classes._

"Alright, alright, I get it." Jazzy sat up and swung her legs over to set them on the floor. She got to her feet and walked over to the closet just as a knock came at the door. "Shasta, can you-" She called over her shoulder before pausing. _Oh…right._

After grabbing her favorite sweater, Jazzy made her way over to the door and opened it after tugging the sweater on. She blinked for a moment in surprise when seeing her visitor. "Zac? What are you doing?"

He looked up at her and stared at her for a moment with a strangely quiet gaze. "Nothing, I was just seeing if you were up."

Jazzy raised an eyebrow while studying him. "Okay…I'm up?"

He nodded and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He didn't look at her but studied the floor's carpet with intent interest.

Jazzy bit her lip. _What's up with him, he never acts like this…_ "Zac? What's wrong?"

Zac looked up at her. "Let's go and visit Shasta." He stated.

Jazzy stared at him. "Okay…I guess we could sneak over."

He nodded his head. "Tonight."

"Why tonight, Zac? We have to plan it out."

He shook his head again and looked at her with a more familiar stubborn gaze. "Tad wants to know how she's doing, but he hasn't been able to get away, lately. I think he's sort of…scared, you know? We have to go tonight. Just meet me at the river after dinner-hour, alright?"

Jazzy nodded after a moment of contemplation. "Okay…I'll be there."

A slight smile softened his features. "Alright, I'll see you then, Jazzy. Have a good day." He then turned and walked steadily down the hallway, his long strides eating up the distance until he disappeared around a corner.

Jazzy sighed slowly while she watched after him. _Something's been bothering him, it's like he's aged thirty years in these past two weeks. Ever since Shasta left and we were shown those diagrams…the Creatures. Is that what's bothering him? Oh, Zac, he always gets so caught up in those sorts of things._

Casually, she closed the door and walked back into the room in order to wander back to the closet to retrieve her school uniform. While she went through the motions of her habitual routine, she was able to let her mind wander.

It had been only a few days after Shasta had left to be turned that the middle-pretty Professor – Zac's father – had shown the class of disinterested uglies actual diagrams of the new pretty forms: the Creatures. At first Jazzy had been shocked at her first impression of the images. She had been taught everything about pretties and the operation that would turn her from her ugly-state to a pretty, but out of all of those procedures and changes, the creation of the Creature had to be the strangest.

It had looked like a human, or at least had the posture and the body proportions of a human, but everything else was like…an animal. The Creature in the diagram had been a female, so she could tell, but it had been covered in a layer of soft, brown fur. The Creature had also been developed with ears, eyes and some facial features, paw-like hands with claws, and the tail of what was identified as a dog. Apparently, Creatures could be created to be a wide variety of humanoid animals with enhanced abilities and senses - in a nutshell.

Jazzy wrinkled her nose while she sorted through the information in her mind. She honestly couldn't understand why anyone would want to turn themselves into an animal. It didn't even fit into the usual pretty quota. Well, she admitted to herself, the Creature did have the perfect pretty figure, and the face itself had been perfectly sculpted with the dog-like features laced throughout it. The hair had also been pretty perfect, and the eyes had the intensity of any pretty. So…maybe it was pretty in its own way.

No matter what the reasons, the whole class had reacted in a variety of ways, everything from fear to excitement. However, as expected, it had been Zac who had stood up and defiantly argued against his father. After the two of them had broken into a heated debate about the entire issue, Zac had left the room. He hadn't really been the same after it, but instead had resorted to being gloomy and anti-social; even towards her…She supposed that the three-day suspension hadn't helped his mood any, either.

_Class begins in 15 minutes._

Jazzy broke out of her thoughts and glared out at the room. "I know, I know." She finished with her grooming and grabbed her book-bag before running to the door.

Once she was in the hallway and heading straight for her class, Jazzy let her mind wander towards the event that was to take place after school. She and Zac often snuck over to the new-pretty town, usually whenever they were bored. If so, then why did it feel so different this time?

_Ugh, Zac, you always have to make me worry. _Jazzy muttered incoherently under her breath before sighing in exasperation. He honestly made her want to pull her hair out sometimes.

_Class begins in 8 minutes._

She sighed again.

"Hey, Jazzy."

Jazzy looked up and smiled. "Hey, Tad."

Tad walked towards her smoothly and fell into step beside her. "How are you?"

"I'm…good. How are you?" She asked while glancing up at him. It looked as though he had grown a couple more inches in the past few weeks.

"I'm alright…did Zac talk to you?" His voice quieted as he looked at her with hopefulness in his eyes.

Jazzy nodded. "Yeah, he did. We'll go and see her tonight, okay?" She offered him another smile.

Tad smiled back warmly. "Thanks, Jazz, you two are the greatest. I'd go and see her myself, I really want to, but I've been under a lot heat from the Professors lately because I've missed a few classes and all." He rambled.

Jazzy nodded again in understanding. "Yeah, it's not a problem, Tad. We have it down to an art-form." She laughed before looking at him seriously. "Tad…have you noticed anything weird with Zac, lately?"

He looked at her for a moment before looking ahead thoughtfully while they weaved through the occasional crowd of commuting students. "He's been kind of quiet, lately, pretty grouchy too." He winced.

"Mhm…so I thought." Jazzy murmured. She stopped once reaching the door of her classroom. "Well, you'd better get going, Tad. I'll see you later." She smiled.

Tad grinned and nodded. "Yeah, you too, Jazz. Thanks, again." He turned and lumbered off towards his own classroom.

Jazzy bit her lip lightly in thought while she turned and walked into the bustling classroom. _It's not just with me, then. Oh, Zac, what's going on?_

The calls of fellow uglies drew her back to reality, and Jazzy walked over to join them for another long day of ugly lessons in the ugly classroom.

The speckled stalks of the cattails whispered and crackled quietly as Jazzy pushed them aside, spreading them like a curtain as she waded through. Twigs and leaves rustled and snapped under her feet, causing her to pause occasionally and glance around cautiously before continuing. It was rather unlikely that there would be any patrollers immediately around this area of the river but it never hurt to be careful.

Jazzy glanced around the forest of cattails and weeds as she made her way through them to the river bank. A light breeze rustled through the vegetation and made it sway hypnotically, and Jazzy was instantly thankful for the warmer weather of late spring. Sneaking out on these expeditions was never fun in the colder months.

The low humming of a water-cruiser caught her attention and Jazzy instinctively ducked down into the reeds. She held her breath and waited until the sound faded before she rose to her feet and continued her way to the bank. The mud made squishing noises as her sneakers sunk into it slightly when she broke into a run towards the appointed meeting spot between her and Zac.

Her appointed goal soon came into sight when she escaped the water vegetation and emerged onto a wide lawn of hip-high grass. Jazzy walked through it, keeping a wary eye on the nearby river for skimmers and in the grass for creepy-crawly things. She hated creepy-crawly things ever since a particularly long one had once made its way up her pant-leg a year ago. Jazzy shuddered and suppressed the thought as she continued walking until reaching the spot.

The spot was marked by a statue, or so Jazzy and Zac had concluded that it had once been. It was a tall, cement structure that had been carved into the crude shape of a cross. There had once been inscriptions chiseled into the surface near the bottom, but it was so worn with age and moss that neither of them could make out any of the symbols.

Jazzy smiled to herself while approaching the marker. She and Zac had assumed that it was a memorial of some sort, left over after the Rusties had gone extinct. Then again, they'd also believed that it was a magic doorway with ghosts and spirits when they had been littlies. Jazzy reached out and rested a hand on the cool, rough surface. No matter what the monument had been, it was like an old friend. She smiled faintly to herself.

A cracking noise snapped Jazzy out of her thoughts as she looked over her shoulder quickly towards the sound. She exhaled with relief when Zac emerged out of the bushes. She raised an eyebrow. "You went the long way?"

Zac looked at her for a moment before pointedly holding up his hoverboard. "I had to follow the trails." He replied while walking over to her side. Thoughtfully, he reached out and rested a hand on the monument, brushing some moss aside with his fingers to reveal some of the faded carvings.

Jazzy glanced at him and studied his expression. _He always has that look, now. _She turned her gaze to the inscriptions. "Do you ever think we'll ever figure them out?"

He shrugged. "I doubt we'll be on this side of the river for that long." He turned away from the structure and looked out across the river to the new-pretty town beyond. The lights were beginning to glow brightly against the darkening twilight. Already the sounds of blasting music, whistles, horns, and the elated squeals of pretties were echoing over the water.

"They sure don't take long to get going." Jazzy commented.

"No, they don't." Zac replied without taking his eyes off of the town for another moment. He looked at Jazzy. "If we know Shasta, she's probably still sleeping or is figuring out her outfit for the night, so we should be able to catch her in her room."

Jazzy blinked. "We're not going to be able to march right in there, Zac."

Zac didn't reply while he walked past her and towards the river with his hoverboard. He looked over his shoulder once he had set it to hover just over the water's surface. "Well, then we'll just have to sneak our way in, won't we?" He smirked mischievously.

Jazzy grinned. "…I guess so." She walked after him and stepped up onto the hoverboard after he was settled on it. She wrapped her arms around his torso and rested against his back lightly. "If we get caught, I'll blame it on you, though."

Zac shrugged in reply. "It's not like they would do much to us, anyways." He shifted his foot forward and nudged the board ahead, after checking the waterway for any approaching water vessels.

A couple of the uglies had discovered several years earlier that they actually could ride their hoverboards over the river, in spite of the lack of the metal grids that were implanted under the surface of the ground under UglyVille and New-Pretty Town. Zac had explained it to Jazzy once, that there were minerals and bits of metal in the riverbed that made it possible for the hoverboards to continue working with their magnetism. It had become very convenient for these sneaking missions, especially after Zac and Tad had figured out how to remove the sensors on the boards, making them untraceable. It definitely beat having to swim or float across.

They eased along the bank for a little ways, clinging to the security of the reeds for as long as possible before Zac shifted abruptly and sent the board shooting across the water in a mad, but controlled break for the opposite shore. Jazzy tightened her arms around him and braced herself for any sudden turns as they skimmed over the water.

"Once we get across, we'll hide and go through the gardens, alright?"

Jazzy looked up at Zac and nodded. "Yeah, okay."

She knew the routine.

AN: Hmm, wonder what's up with Zac? Anyhow, that's the end of another chapter. I'm heading to Mexico for a mission's trip for 6 weeks, but fear not, another chapter will be on it's way after this little hiatus. After all, We can't leave them half-way on their journey to New Pretty-town, right? 'Til then.


End file.
